I recently came across this pdf on "Why Design?". It is a free pdf download and has some good writing on why we design. It also has a model to visualize the design process.

Once we start to see our role as catalysts in the process of designing, entirely new opportunities open up in front of us.
Not only opportunities where we can design objects-products, brochures, logos,
books, posters and the like. But where our approach to thinking can also play a huge role.

Labels: AIGA, design